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 "Am I A Good Man?" ~ Lessons In War, Lessons In Life Nov 16, 2009
Well, I've put off watching 'Saving Private Ryan' for quite a long time. I'm not exactly certain why, I guess I simply burned out on the genre (the same can be said concerning mafia/gangster films). Now after finally relenting and giving this WWII war film a viewing all I can say is it's fantastic! It succeeds on every level, unique and well conceived storyline, sharp, insightful dialogue, impressive production values, outstanding ensemble cast and of course a magnificent soundtrack by the legendary John Williams.
There's definitely an unending string of accolades you could bestow upon this film and all would be undeniably deserved, this is most certainly one of the great war films of all-time. Watching these American soldiers deal with the crisis and chaos that is part and parcel of everyday life on the front-lines is both exhilarating and heart wrenching as the audience slowly comes to realize that acts of bravery and heroism are nothing more than the innate desire of mans will to survive made manifest. Spielberg goes one step further in his analysis of the human condition as he posits the ultimate question to those who where blessed with the gift of life; what did I do to deserve this and what can I do to show myself worthy of a second chance? The answer; live a good life, be a good man.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Saving Private Ryan Oct 07, 2009
This motion picture is one of the best war movies ever made. The battle scenes are very surreal: especially the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach at the first part of the movie. Some of the scenes in this movie are intensly graphic and seem very realistic: something you should expect in any good war flick such as this one. 'Saving Private Ryan' has a very dramatic and riveting plot. After watching this movie it had me wanting to learn more about the history of WWII. The weapons, military outfits, and tanks seen in this movie are highly accurate to what was used in WWII. The cast in this film performed outstandingly well! They made it seem like they weren't even acting at all. Tom Hanks deserved an Oscar for the performance he gave in this film. 'Saving Private Ryan' is such a well done movie that I sometimes forget it is a movie while watching it. Composer John Williams delivered a very moving musical (score) for 'Saving Private Ryan': perhaps the best musical (score) ever used in any motion picture. This film is my favorite movie from the highly successful director Steven Spielberg. There are absoultely no flaws in this movie. It is one of my favorite movies alongside 'Platoon', 'Braveheart', and 'Gladiator'. 'Saving Private Ryan' is a film that expresses the true courage and bravery of a group of American soldiers who risk their lives looking for one man lost in combat so he can safely return home: allowing him to have no further risk of being killed in battle like his brothers did. If you like war movies then this one is a must-own.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Spielberg's come a long way, baby. Sep 19, 2009
From what is undoubtedly the most realistic filming of the D-Day landings made to date; to the many harrowing incidents encountered throughout, this film is a gem! Top notch Tom Hanks. Just plain excellent! (NOTE:) Not for young children to see.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great Movie! And a good DVD Quality edition. Sep 05, 2009
Saving Private Ryan was the movie that finally took War Movies from the Hollywood of old (Longest Day, Dirty Dozen, Dam Busters, etc) the final step after movies like Apocalypse Now & Platoon endeavoured to bring the true face of war to the big screen - SPR went the rest of the way taking that to it's next stage and adding even greater levels of detail & historical accuracy and realism - it was the movie that led to a whole new generation of movies in the last decade (Band of Brothers; Flags of our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima; We Were Soldiers; Days of Glory; Saints & Soldiers; Max Manus; and more). Good to see it given the high quality 'Superbit' style treatment - the ultimate & preeminent DVD version, at least until a new Blu-ray version is released.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A Masterpiece that I never want to see again Sep 02, 2009
I saw this movie during its theatrical release in 1998, and have adamantly refused to see it again. I suppose that probably sounds negative, but any slight against this film is unintentional. After completing this movie, Spielberg and Hanks could comfortably state to the world that their best work was probably behind them.
I have never seen a movie that was so powerful that I shook throughout the entire viewing. By the end, I was not crying, but tears were forcibly running from my eyes from the disbelief and the shock. I could barely walk out of the theater as the credits rolled.
It is the film equivalent of staring clearly into the pit of hell and, for a moment, feeling its unrelenting heat without succumbing to it. You could learn something deeply insightful from such an experience, but it is not pleasant and not an event you'd wish to repeat often. Afterward you likely feel grateful if you were spared from its subject. I cannot imagine how you would feel if you weren't.
And that's really all I have to say. This can never be among my favorite movies, but my respect for it is unrivaled. It is a horrible masterpiece, not because of its quality, but because of its refusal to compromise its subject.
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